Track-circuit relay for railway-crossing signals



J. w. SMEDBERG. TRACK CIRCUIT RELAY FOR RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNALS- 1,357,423. Patented Nov. 2,1920.

ZSHEETS-SHEET APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1919.

5] n ma 14 501 Clbfozmu L W. SMEDBERG. TRACK CIRCUIT RELAY FUR RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNALS.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, I9I9. 1,357,428.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I Z O UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

JOHN 'W. SMEDBERG, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE L. MALTBY, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

TRACK-CIRCUITRELAY FOR RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNALS.

Application filed February 7, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoI-IN W. SMEDBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauquaand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Circuit Relays for Railway-Crossing Signals, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to electrically controlled railway crossing signals; and the improvement consists in providing a simpleand easily installed electrical circuit relay for the automatic control of a railway crossing signal, whose action is positive, doing away with all spring action, also doing away with liability to wrong actionin the parts of the relay and consequent trouble from an inoperative signal; and the invention consists in the novel features and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagram of the complete electrical track circuit relay for the crossing signal, showing the starting relays in each direction from the central signal operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electrical signal actuating and stopping mechanism and its connection'to the isulated and return rails of the track. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the stopping relay showing the construction and arrangement of'the same with the different positions illustrated in dotted outline. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the current closing or crossing relay showing the construction and arrangement of the same.

Like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 10 designates the return rail of the railway track, and the numeral 11 the sectioned rail. The numeral 12 designates the trolley or electrical feed wire. The numeral 13 designates the signal line or connecting wire from the starting relays to the crossing signal.

The signaling system consists of two similar pairs of starting relays, one pair for each direction of travel, and a central signaling mechanism. The starting relays at the right of the diagram consists of the solenoids 14 and 15 placed in spaced relation. The solenoid 14 is connected to the insulated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 275,528.

section 17 of the sectioned rail 11, by means of the wire 16 so thatwhen a car, coming from the right on the track 10--11, bridges said track at the section 17 connection will be made through said car from the insulated section 17 to the return rail 10, from which the current would pass through the wire 18 to the battery 19, thereby energizing the sole noid 14 and raising the core 24 and contact arm 25 against the contact post 26, which contact post is connected to the trolley or feed wire 12 by wire 26'.

When the contact arm 25 is brought into contact with the contact post 26, the electrical current flows through the wire 30 to the signal wire'13, thence through wire 31 to the resistance coil 32, thence through wire 33 to the circuit closing or crossing signal relay solenoid 34, energizing the same. When the solenoid 34 is energized, the core 35 is drawn upward, thereby drawing up the bar or disk 36 against the contact posts 37 and 38, thereby closing the. circuit in the wire 39 and 40, which connects through the wire connection 42 to the railway crossing signal 71, the current returning on the wire 43 to the post 45. A tap or branch wire 40 connects wire 42 to the upper end of resistance 41 through which a part of the electrical current flows through resistance 41 and resistance 32 connected thereto, thence through wire 33 to solenoid 34 thereby energizing said solenoid and holding the connective bar or disk 36 against the posts 37 and 38.

The energizing current for the solenoid 34 passes out through the wire 44 to the post 45, thence to the contactand stopping post 46, upon which the arm 47 normally rests, thence through the plate on the arm 47 to the wire 48, and binding post 49 and wire 50 to the returning wire 51 to the return rail 10.

As the car passes forward toward the left it moves both its front and rear wheels in succession off the insulated section 17 of the rail 11 onto the insulated section 23 sucoessively bridging on the rail 10; the solenoid 15 is thereby energized, raising the core 27 and non-contact arm 28 against the underside of the contact arm 25, the current passing through the wire 22, the circuit being completed from the solenoid 15 to the track section 23 by the wire 22, and as soon rail and a return rail, the latter connected in circuit with one terminal of said stopping relay solenoid, said contact arm and one terminal of said signal actuating relay, said sectional rail having its sections insulated from each other and one section connected in circuit with the stopping relay solenoid whereby the latter will be energized by a passing car bridging the track at the specified rail section, a trolley wire, the other terminal of the signal actuating relay solenoid adapted for connection with the trolley wire, and means connected in circuit with another rail section for electrically connecting the latter terminal of the signal relay solenoid to the trolley when the track is bridged at the second rail section.

cl. An electrical control for a railway crossing signal comprising a railway track composed of a return rail and a rail containing insulated track sections, starting re lays comprising two solenoids connected in circuit with adjacent insulated track sections, a contact post in a signal control circuit, one oi? said solenoids having a contact arm to be drawn into contact with said post when the car bridges its respective insulated section of said track and so close said control circuit, the other solenoid having a non-contact arm to be drawn against the lower side of said contacting arm when said arm is in contacting position against said post to maintain the signal control circuit.

5. An electrical control for railway signals, comprising a track one of the rails oi which consists of insulated sections, a signal, means on each side of the signal. and connected to adjacent insulated sections of said rail for operating the signal when. a car passes over the respective insulated section, and other means associated with each first means and connected to an adjacent insulated section or mechanically renderingthe associated first means inoperative when said first means follows its associated second means in sequence of operation.

6. An electrical control for railway signals, comprising a traclr one of the rails of which consists of insulated sections, a circuit including the rails, a signal, electromagnetic means connected to one insulated section and including a member for closing the circuit to operate the signal as a car passes over said section, and electro-magnetic means connected to another section and including a member for rendering the first named member inoperative when the latter section is reached by the car in advance of first section and for sustaining said first member when the track is traversed in a redirection.

7. An electrical control for electric signals, :omprising a track the rails of which are included in a circuit aid of the which consists of insulated sections, a trolley wire, a signal, a car for bridging the circuit across the rails, and means for actuating the signal including a pair of electro-magnets connected to adjacent rail sections and the opposite rail, a swinging contact arm operable by the armature of one magnet, a signal wire with which the arm is electrically connected, a fixed contact connected with the trolley wire and against which the arm is movable to close the circuit and a non-contact arm operable by the other magnet to-obstruct the contact arm when operated prior thereto and to hold the contact arm in en gagement with the fixed contact when operated subsequent thereto, the sequence of operation of the arms corresponding to the direction of travel of the car.

8. An electrical control for electric signals, comprising a track the rails of which are included in a circuit and one of the rails of which consists of insulated sections, a trolley wire, a signal, a car for bridging the circuit across the rails, and means for actuating the signal including a pair of electro-magnets connected to adjacent rail sections and the opposite rail, a swinging contact arm operable by the armature of one magnet, a signal wire with which the arm is electrically connected, a fixed contact con nected with the trolley wire and against which the arm is movable to close the circuit and a noncontact arm operable by thenther magnet to obstruct the contact arm when operated prior thereto and to hold the contact arm in engagement with the fixed contact when operated subsequent thereto, the sequence of operation of the arms corresponding to the direction of travel oi the car, a re-. sistance connected to the signal wire, :1 normally open connection between the trolley wire and the signal, an electro-magnet for closing the normally open connection and connected to the resistance, a normally closed switch arm closing the circuit through the third electro-magnet the signal and the solid rail, and an electro-magnet connected to another rail section and to the solid rail for opening the switch arm.

9. An electrical control for railway signals, comprising a track one of the rails oi which consists of insulated sections, a circuit including the rails and a signal and comprising a switch including in the circuit, means for operating the signal, and a single means operable both prior and subsequent to the first means, depending upon the direction of travel of a car over the rail sections, for withholding operation of the switch and for holding it operative, respectively.

10. An electrical signal control. including a trolley wire, a track one or" the rails of which consists of insulated sections, a signal, a newt-Jelly deiinergized.

i adapted When energized to close connection electro-magnet'adapted to be closed by the 10 between the signal and trolley Wire, an elecarmature of the second electroqna-gnet.

' trical connection between the other rail of In testimony whereof I have afiixed my nected to the continuous rail and one section WVitnesses: of the sectional rail, and other electrical con- H. A. SANDBERG, .nection between the trolley and the first C. V. SWANSON.

the track and the electro-megnet, an auxilsignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

iary circuit including a secondary source of JOHN W SMEDBERG electrical energy and an electro-magnet con- 

